# Create a task

## What a task is

A task is a piece of follow-up work that you assign, schedule, and track separately from the
business record it supports. Create one when someone needs a dated action, an owner, or a clear
completion status. Tasks sit with activities as cross-cutting follow-up work.

| If you need to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Create a new follow-up task | Open the task-creation page, then follow [Before you start](#before-you-start) and [Enter task details](#enter-task-details) |
| Find a task you already created | [Find a task](#find-a-task) |
| Add a meeting, visit, or call to a saved task | [Handle saved-task options](#handle-saved-task-options) |
| Work with tasks from the wider workspace | [My Desk workspace](doc:my-desk-workspace) or [Manage tasks from My Desk](doc:my-desk-tasks) |
| Record an activity linked to the task | [Record activities from My Desk](doc:my-desk-activities) or [Create an activity](doc:create-activity) |

Tasks use statuses such as Upcoming, Due, Overdue, In Progress, and Completed. The
status controls available on a saved task depend on its current status and on whether you own it.

## Before you start

**Prerequisites**

- You are signed in. The new-task route requires authentication.
- The Tasks subscription is included for your account.
- You have the task title, its priority, a start date, and a due date.
- You know who to assign the task to, if someone other than you owns it.
- You have the description ready if the task needs more context.
- You are creating a new task, or you own an existing task that you have accepted.

The form requires **Priority**, the task title, **Start Date**, and **Due Date**. **Description**
and **Assign To** are available when you need them. The page protects unsaved changes when you
leave it.

> [!NOTE]
> A task owner can save a new task. An existing task can be saved by its owner after the task is
> accepted.

## Find a task

Open the task-creation page when you are creating a task. Use the task list when you are locating
work that already exists.

**Prerequisites**

- You are signed in and the Tasks subscription is included.

**Steps**

1. Choose the page that matches your job.

   | If you need to… | Open |
   |---|---|
   | Create a task | The task-creation page |
   | Locate an existing task | [Manage tasks from My Desk](doc:my-desk-tasks) |

2. If you opened the task list, choose the list that answers your question.

   | If you need to… | Select |
   |---|---|
   | View all available task work | **All** |
   | View your task work | **My Tasks** |
   | Include completed task work | **View completed tasks** |

3. Read the visible headers to identify the task you need.

   The task list can show Title, Owner, Start date, **Due date**, **Status**, and
   Importance. The list also provides icon buttons titled **Refresh**, **Table Layout**, and
   **Settings**.

![Use the task-list headers and filters to locate a task](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca64b0f67135a13617f6d0e934f05edc.png)

**Result:** The new-task form is open and ready for [Enter task details](#enter-task-details). If
you located an existing task, open it and continue with [Handle saved-task options](#handle-saved-task-options).

## Enter task details

The new-task form records the task's purpose, priority, description, dates, and assignment. Enter
the dates carefully: the **Due Date** starts at the **Start Date**, so a task cannot be scheduled
to finish before it starts.

**Prerequisites**

- The new-task form is open.
- You have the task title, priority, start date, and due date ready.

**Steps**

1. Open **Priority**.

![Open Priority before choosing the task priority](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca620b585a251ff3d20fe48975c2faf6.png)

2. Select a priority value.

3. Enter the task title in the large text area below **Task Purpose**.

4. Enter additional context in **Description** when the title alone does not explain the work.

![Enter the task context in Description](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca620b585a251ff3d20fe48975c2faf6.png)

5. Enter the date on which the task starts in **Start Date**.

![Enter the task start date before setting the due date](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca620b585a251ff3d20fe48975c2faf6.png)

6. Enter a date on or after **Start Date** in **Due Date**.

![Set Due Date on or after Start Date](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca620b585a251ff3d20fe48975c2faf6.png)

7. Choose the person responsible for the task in **Assign To** when the task belongs to someone
   else.

![Choose the person responsible for the task](https://atloriaassets.blob.core.windows.net/assets/a438221c-c1af-407c-b9e6-a56c986db846/ca620b585a251ff3d20fe48975c2faf6.png)

The new-task form shows **Owner** and Tags as readouts on arrival. **Task Progress** is not
shown on the live create surface. The task title, **Priority**, **Start Date**, and **Due Date**
are required by the form. The validation messages are `Priority is required`, `Title is required`,
`Start Date is required`, and `Due Date is required`.

**Follow** is not available on the live create form. After the task is saved, **Reminder** becomes
available on the saved task.

**Result:** The task details are entered, with **Start Date** and **Due Date** set in the correct
order and **Assign To** set when another person owns the work.

## Save the task

**Save** keeps you in the task flow after creating the task. **Save and Close** saves the task and
leaves the form. Both controls are available for a new task owner; on an existing task, they are
available to the owner after the task is accepted.

**Prerequisites**

- The task form contains valid values for its required fields.
- You are the task owner, or you are saving an existing task that you have accepted.

**Steps**

1. Choose the save action that matches what you want to do next.

   | If you need to… | Select |
   |---|---|
   | Continue working with the saved task | **Save** |
   | Save the task and leave the form | **Save and Close** |

2. Check for the success message `Data saved Successfully`.

3. Continue from the page that matches your save choice.

   | If you selected… | Then |
   |---|---|
   | **Save** | Open the saved task. |
   | **Save and Close** | Return to the page that opened the task form. |

**Result:** The task is saved. **Save** takes you to the saved task; **Save and Close** leaves
the form.

## Handle saved-task options

A saved task exposes follow-up actions according to its owner, status, branch, and task level.
These options let you respond to an assignment, change completion status, and keep related work
with the task.

**Prerequisites**

- The task is saved and open.
- You know whether you own the task and whether it is accepted, **Overdue**, **Due**, **Completed**,
  or still active.
- For sub-tasks and activities, you belong to the same branch as the task.

**Steps**

1. Choose the saved-task action that matches the task state.

   | If the task is… | Control | Resulting message |
   |---|---|---|
   | Assigned to you but not accepted | **Accept** | `You accepted the assigned task` |
   | Assigned to you but not accepted | **Decline** | `You declined the assigned task` |
   | **Overdue** or **Due** | **Consider As Complete** |
   | **Completed** | **Consider As Not Completed** |
   | A top-level task and you need a child task | **Sub-tasks**, then the add action |
   | An active task and you need a related activity | **Activities**, then the add action |

2. Use the saved-task tabs to open the related work you need.

   | If you need to… | Select |
   |---|---|
   | Review child tasks | **Sub-tasks** |
   | Review or add activities | **Activities** |
   | Read or add discussion | **Comments** |
   | Review attached files | **Attachment** |
   | Review recorded changes | **Last Modifications** |

3. In **Activities**, select the plus icon to open the activity menu.

4. Choose an activity.

   | Activity control |
   |---|
   | **Meeting** |
   | **Visit** |
   | **Call** |

**Result:** The selected saved-task panel or follow-up action is open for the task. Accepting or
declining changes the assignment response; the activity choices open the corresponding activity
form.

## Fix task-entry problems

Use the message on screen to choose the correction. Required-field messages appear when a required
value is missing. Ownership and save messages appear when the selected action is not allowed or
the save cannot complete.

| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| `Priority is required` | **Priority** has no value. | Select a value in **Priority**. |
| `Title is required` | The task title is empty. | Enter the task title below **Task Purpose**. |
| `Start Date is required` | **Start Date** has no value. | Enter a start date in **Start Date**. |
| `Due Date is required` | **Due Date** has no value. | Enter a due date in **Due Date**. |
| `Error Saving Registration` | The save did not complete. | Review the required fields and select **Save** again. |
| `An error occurred while processing your request` | An assignment response could not complete. | Reopen the task and retry the action when you are its owner. |
| `Only task owner can take that action` | The selected status action is restricted to the task owner. | Ask the task owner to make the status change. |

Keep **Due Date** on or after **Start Date**. The form defines **Start Date** as the minimum for
**Due Date**. The available values in Priority and **Assign To** depend on the lists shown when
you open those controls.

**Result:** The task form is ready for a valid save, or the task owner has the information needed
to complete the restricted action.

## Continue after saving

After a non-closing save, continue with the saved task. The saved task is
where its status, child tasks, activities, comments, attachments, and modification history can be
continued.

**Prerequisites**

- You selected **Save**, or you located the task from [Manage tasks from My Desk](doc:my-desk-tasks).

**Steps**

1. Open the saved task after selecting **Save**.

2. Select the saved-task tab that matches the next piece of work: **Sub-tasks**, **Activities**,
   Comments, **Attachment**, or **Last Modifications**.

3. For broader workspace task work, open [Manage tasks from My Desk](doc:my-desk-tasks).

4. For task-related activity work, open [Record activities from My Desk](doc:my-desk-activities)
   or [Create an activity](doc:create-activity).

**Result:** You are at the saved task or at the sibling page that owns the next follow-up job.